WESTFIELD – Amelia Park Ice Arena and the Westfield Fire Department are partnering together to give the community an alternative to skating on area ponds. Amelia Park Arena’s outdoor facility has been flooded and prepped for outdoor skating under the stars. The rink will host a public skate tonight from 6-8 p.m., weather permitting. Admittance will be $8/adult, $6/junior (age 13 & under)/senior/military with ID. Rentals will be $4/each. Concessions will also be available.
“We are thrilled to partner with Westfield Fire Dept. on this project,” said Carole Appleton, executive director of Amelia Park Arena. “This couldn’t have happened without a generous donor who helped us purchase a liner and our volunteers who set up the rink and flooded the facility.”
Westfield Fire Department is often asked how thick the ice has to be to consider it safe.
“Ice on moving water is never safe,” said Deputy Fire Chief Patrick Egloff. “Daily changes in temperature can expand and contract the ice causing it to weaken and ice found over spring and moving water is about 15 percent weaker.”
“Snow often hides cracks,” said Egloff. “And actually insulates the ice which could cause it to warm and slow the freezing process.”
While the Westfield Fire Dept. is unwilling to ever deem ice safe, they are happy to promote Amelia Park’s outdoor facility as an alternative to skating on area ponds. For daily updates on the ice and weather conditions check out ameliaparkice.org.
Amelia Park Ice Arena is an ice arena/sports complex and memorial garden, financed by the late Westfield philanthropist Albert F. Ferst, in memory of his wife Amelia. The Albert & Amelia Ferst Operating Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit entity, was formed in 1998, with the expressed purpose of building a recreational facility and garden in her memory.
